With a travel rating of 50%, Oman was once the seat of a mighty empire that extended throughout the Middle East and down across Eastern Africa and had influence that extended beyond the boundaries of the region. Today, much of this power and influence are gone, but the country still retains a natural beauty that is unmatched by many in the region. At the top of the natural wonders list is the amazing network of stunning fjords such as Wadi Shab, where massive stone cliffs plunge hundreds of meters down to the waters below. Then as you make your way towards the interior, you are met with an idyllic desert landscape dotted with medieval fortresses, such as Bahla Fort, that seem to have leapt from the pages of 1001 Arabian Nights. In summary, while Oman's power may no longer extend across the world, it still has more than enough appealing destinations to make the PlanetHoppers! of the world sit up and take notice.

Don't waste a moment in planning a visit to Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, the only UNESCO-listed site ever removed from the world-renowned register. Extinct in the wild, this is the last remaining free-range habitat of the Arab....